Charlie told her it was gonna be okay, that she didn't need to worry about them

I STILL DON'T OWN BATMAN, BUT I OWN LIMERENCE AND THE CHARACTERS I CREATED!

Okay, I take back what I said in the last chapter, THIS is the fastest update I've EVER done! I feel so accomplished. But y'all don't care (nobody does), so enough with that.

Thank you to those who left reviews! It really means a lot! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! You guys rock!!

Anyways, this chapter starts off with Bre and Charlie right after they come outside in chapter eight, and continues with Plio's parents coming to get her…then she has a dream. And remember, Jack had had a dream too back in chapter six. Keep that in mind, and go back and read his dream if you have to.

Okay, on with chapter 10!

Chapter 10: And So It Begins

xXx

Charlie told her it was gonna be okay, that she didn't need to worry about them. She said John wouldn't let anything happen to Plio and that they were going to be at the restaurant soon. But that was twenty minutes ago, at which time they were already fifteen minutes late. Anxiously, Bre tapped her fingers on the table over and over, wondering where her friends were, and what was taking them so long. She tried to push the bad thoughts out her head and focus on her food, but she didn't have much of an appetite. The blonde punk watched her bookish friend poke at her chicken with her fork and rolled her eyes. "You gotta stop worrying about them. You're gonna make yourself sick."

"I know something happened," she whispered, her head sinking a bit. Her mind kept going back to hers and Charlie's venture outside; she knew someone was in that alley with them, she felt their presence, their stare. But it was weird, even though in her mind she knew she needed to be scared, she wasn't, not of what was there in front of her, that is, but what it was scared of. She couldn't really explain it, but somehow she knew there was more going on there than what the two could see.

"I bet Jackendaboks got a hold of them," Charlie alleged, sounding strangely intrigued with the idea, her mind beginning to wander.

"Why would you say that?!" she exclaimed quietly in shock at her friend's statement. "You want them to get hurt?!" Bre gaze the teen absolutely mortified.

"No, of course not," she ensured her, waving her hand at the idea, "…but I wouldn't mind seeing that boy. I mean, he's so-oo…well…delicious." Bre stared on in repulsion as her friend fantasized about the city's biggest villain like he was a movie star. "He's got such a nice body, the moonlight showing off all those perfect muscles…And those eyes, they're so damn sexy."

"Y-yeah…" Bre was starting to rethink the high regards she held for the blonde, "well…I doubt you'll get that wish," she declared with antipathy.

"And why not?" she inquired, annoyed at the idea that she would never get to have the one she lusted for so desperately.

"You know Jackendaboks doesn't mug people," Bre declared, surprised at her defense towards him. "It's not his style."

"No, you're right, he likes to steal. Mostly expensive stuff, like gold…and diamonds…and jewels…and diamonds…he would be SUCH an awesome boyfriend." As long as Bre had known her spunky friend, she never really understood her taste in boys, and her fixation on criminal activity. 'Lunatic.'

"You do realize a diamond is a je—" BUZZ… "Huh? What was tha—" BUZZ… Her eyes dropped to the green purse on the floor beside her leg, a spark of relief washed over her. BUZZ…"Oh, my phone. I hope it's them." Digging round inside, she grabbed the small rectangular object and pulled it out.

"Did they leave a message?" Charlie asked, stretching her neck, straining to see what was on the phone.

"Yeah, they left…" her heart skipped a beat, "…a text message…" her voice was no more than a whisper, "Oh my God…" She stared at the words in disbelief.

Bre,

Plio and I were mugged just outside, she's okay, but they knocked her out. I need you to stay with her in the alley til her mother gets here. I'm going off after the guy.

Bre's calm breathing became more of a pant and then into full fledge hyperventilation. "Holy shit, Bre, what is it?!" Charlie leap from her seat and was at the frantic girl's side, trying to calm her down. "What's wrong, Bre. Tell me." She said nothing, just handed her the phone. Charlie's eyes quickly read the message, voice instantly becoming hoarse, "Oh my God. We have to go, c'mon." Snatching the brunette's hand, she yanked her from the table, shouting for their group of friends that everything was alright and to stay where they were. "Plio!" Charlie began to call once they were outside, searching the junk in the alley for her fallen comrade.

"I knew something bad had happened," Bre whispered almost silently as she, too, searched.

"Shut up, Bre!" she snapped in anger, whirling around, "I don't want to hear it—"

"PLIO!" Bre shouted, pointing, when she spotted her friend, lying in a pile of trash bags. Pushing Charlie out of the way, the youngest of the trio ran to the unconscious heiress, falling to her knees. "Plio! Are you okay?!" she shrieked. "Wake up!" Hysterically, she shook the elder teen, attempting to awaken her.

"Move!" the blonde shouted as she pulled Bre back and away from the comatose teen, "let me check her out…and stay calm." Sobbing and scared, Bre inched backwards, giving plenty of room, and hugged her legs tightly. She watched as Charlie began to thoroughly inspect the cataleptic adolescent, checking her legs, torso, arms, and head for any kind of abrasion, bruises, or knots on her head. Luckily, she did not find traces of any. "She doesn't seem to have a mark on her, and I doubt she has a concussion since there is no evidence of head trauma, but then again, it just might not have shown up yet."

"So…" Bre began, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her shirt, "she's gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I mean, if I had to guess, I'd say they just used chloroform to knock her ass out." Relieved, Bre sighed and crawled back to the other two. "Now we've just got to wait, for Mr. and Mrs. Wayne to get here to get her."

"I wonder why he didn't just call an ambulance."

"He probably realized she wasn't hurt, so there was no point." She paused in thought, "Shoot, I bet they have their own emergency room in that huge house…I mean, they've got just about everything else in there." Bre, worried about their other friend, stood and locked her eyes on the street at the end of the alley. Where had he gone?

"I wonder if he's okay…and who he went with." Charlie's head popped up in puzzlement.

"You mean, 'went after?'"

"Yeah…sorry," she continued to stare off into the distance waiting for someone to show up. "He should have come back by now…or at least have called. I hope he's okay." Bre's curiosity and worry were beginning to get the best of her.

"I'm sure he's fine. He's a strong boy, I'm sure he can take care of himself," the blonde reassured the troubled brunette. "Now sit down and wait, Plio's parents will probably be here any minute."

………………forty-three minutes later…………………

"I thought you knew where this place was," Bruce assumed as he drove the car through central Gotham, his anxious wife keeping her eyes on the sidewalks.

"It's up ahead," Selina told him, pointing to the next street.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I just got a little lost at first…oh, I pray my poor baby is alright," the tears were clear in Selina's exasperated voice as she struggled to keep from losing her calm; she couldn't understand how her husband could stay so collected at a time like this. "There!" she shouted as they approached the alleyway. Slowing down, Bruce pulled the car over and, before he could come to a complete stop, his wife was out the door, sprinting down the pathway. Ignoring the calls from her husband, Selina rushed to the side of her daughter and her two best friends. "Is she alright?!" she asked hysterically.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was just chloroform. I didn't see any injuries." She placed a sweaty palm on Charlie's shoulder, attempting to keep her balance while trying to calm down. "It'll be okay, Mrs. Wayne. You don't have any need to worry." Selina cupped the side of her sleeping daughter's face lovingly, regret and hatred tearing at her heart. Why did she let this happen? Her beautiful daughter tossed aside with the rest of the trash.

Fighting back another wave of tears, she stood up and motioned for Bruce, who had hurried to his wife's aid, to pick up their child. "Let's get her home," she managed to choke out. Holding Plio, Bruce leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his spouse's head, talking softly into her dark hair.

"It'll be fine. I promise. Come on." Thanking the two teenage girls and telling to go back to their other friends, the couple made their way back to the car. Giving her cell phone messages one last look, Bre did as demanded and, reluctantly, disappeared back inside with Charlie.

Selina, wishing to stay with Plio, sat in the back, her daughter's head resting in her lap as she stroked her hair. Her guilt consumed her, and it showed greatly on her sullen face. "It's not your fault, Selina," Bruce told her, his eye moving from the road to the rearview mirror and back.

"I shouldn't have let them go…we shouldn't have let them go. Knowing about these people and their plans." The anger in the pit of her stomach began to boil. "We knew they were after her, and we still let her go out unprotected."

"She knows how to take care of herself, dear."

"Obviously not!" she snapped, her eyes blood shot.

"The bad guys would occasionally get the best of me, too," he reminded, staying calm. "And as I recall, you were one of them." Selina was silent, smiling slightly, contemplating on whether or not to reply to that, because, whenever she had gotten the better of him…there was no villainy shit involved.

"I just can't believe," she spoke quietly, "that he would just leave her there. I trusted him." How could that boy let that happen? He said he loved her.

"He had no choice, honey, you know that."

"He could have fought them off; you've seen his hand to hand combat skills."

"Perhaps there were far too many, or her life was at stake. And…she doesn't even appear to be remotely injured." That didn't matter; her baby had been left to lie in a dark alley because of some stupid thugs. But she realized she couldn't really be angry with the boy, he did what he thought would keep her safe and alive. For all she knew they could have been threatening to kill her if he did not go…but he wouldn't let them know she meant something to him, if they knew who he was. So, what really happened? 'It was probably nothing,' she told herself, shaking her head to rid her mind of the thoughts, 'I'm just over thinking, I know it. He did what he had to do, and I cannot be mad with him. He loves her…I know that…it's just a mother's worry…that's all. I trust him completely…right?'

"We're almost home, okay, honey?" Bruce said as the car came to the road which would take them straight to the prestigious Wayne Manor, seeking to soothe her concern. Selina nodded, never taking her eyes off her daughter, that is, until they approached the turn. Something in the back of her mind commanded her to look up, and when her eyes lifted, they met a pair of yellow eyes at the far end of the opposite road. The eyes were overwhelmed with relief, yet still bursting with fear and guilt. She wanted to go help him, to help get rid of those pests, but, she could not, there was something more important to her at the moment. In a somewhat slow-motion-like fashion, their stares where torn apart as the car made its turn, leaving the yellow eyes glistening with uncertainty and determination. "She doing alright back there, Selina?" Bruce asked, breaking his wife's thoughts.

"Um…yes, dear, she's doing fine…I hope."

For the rest of the ride home, the only noise coming from the vehicle was the sound of its own motor and the rocks beneath it. The silence was a bit awkward, neither parent really knowing what to say, whether to complain or defend. As the family approached the awaiting sanctity of their home, the car's speed slowly began to decrease until it came to a stop. Telling his spouse to stay put, Bruce quickly exited and hurried to the passenger door to his sleeping daughter. Gently he scooped back up into his arms and Selina slid out, shutting all the doors. She opened the front door and rushed him in, staying by her husband's side and making sure nothing got in his way while he took the teen to her room. "Here, lay her down," Selina whispered, clearing off Plio's bed, "should we try to wake her?"

"No," Bruce answered, his voice a bit stern, "we might as well let her sleep." Kissing his daughter's forehead, he straightened himself and took a step back, wrapping an arm around his wife, "There will be plenty of time to question her tomorrow." Giving her a tug, he led Selina from the room and shut the door, leaving the teenage superhero in the dark.

"Pleeese…don't…" The screams were agonizingly painful as she fell to her knees on the blood soaked street, coving her throbbing ears. "Stop it!" she screamed, "Please just stop!" She had tried everything in her power to stop him, but she just couldn't. No one could. She had failed and now everyone she cared about was being slaughtered like cattle.

Slowly she lifted her head, her watery blue eyes desperately scanning the mayhem surrounding her. "HELP!" someone called out, their anguish clear in their voice, "Someone, please help me!" Forcing herself up, BD ran in the direction the cries had come from, her once pink and black wardrobe now pure red, her hair a matted mess.

"Where you?!" she yelled, frantically searching for the person.

"Help me!" they screamed again, and she took off toward a large pile of rubble from a fallen building. "He-lp…me…please," the young woman was trapped beneath the multiple layers of concrete slabs, her body slowly being crushed, and, even though she knew there was no use, BD ran to her and began tossing pieces of the rubble aside. "It hurts so bad…" the woman cried, her tears long dried up, but the superhero's were not. Her eyes flooded over as she frantically tried to save the dying woman, but it proved to be a failure. The girl grabbed the hero's bruised hands and looked in the eyes, a look of plea on the elder's face. BD's eyes swelled up even more as the woman's hand fell limp, releasing the teen's, her eyes closing for the last time.

"So tragic, isn't it?" The voice sent a deadly chill down her spine as her eyes grew wide with fear; the same voice that had once filled her heart will love and joy. The clown teen knelt down beside the fallen heroine, his mouth at her ear, his hot breath on her muddy and bloody skin, "I do enjoy when they beg, don't you?" The anger and hatred boiled in the pit of her stomach and another wave of tears washed over her. "She was a bad person anyway. She was cheating on her husband."

"Doesn't mean she deserved to die, Jack," she snapped at him. Jack beamed sinisterly, his red smile reaching from ear to ear.

"Aww, there's no need to be mean, I'm just doing what I was meant to do." His snow white finger slipped under her chin and turned her head so she was looking at him, her beautiful blues eyes meeting his wicked yellow eyes. "You did once love me…and I get the feeling that it's still there."

"Don't flatter yourself!"

"I'm not." He stared at her messy face, his smile growing in excitement, "Even now, in this state, you are just as beautiful as you ever were, Plio," she attempted to look away, but he held her face in place. "You should have joined me, and it's still not too late. You could be my princess. What do you say?" But she said nothing, only glared. "That's just too bad, I'll certainly miss you," his lips captured hers like they had done so many times before, but now, it was not out of love. BD hand grabbed the side of his face and shoved him down with all her strength, escaping his grasp. The Clown Prince of Crime growled demonically as he watched the girl run off down the streets that had once been the great Gotham City. Rising from the ground, Jack picked up a broken flag pole and began to storm after his former girlfriend, his insanity consuming him once more.

BD sprinted through the streets searching for a place to hide, a way to escape the demon that was chasing her. Why had he done this? Why had Jack become the monster he had so desperately wished not be? He had killed everyone, even his own mother and father with no sense of mercy. The only person he let live was that man with the glowing green eyes, Penoso. The cloaked villain stood at the clown side as he devoted follower, doing exactly what he was told, no matter how horrific it was. That bastard has corrupted the one she loved so much, making him into some kind of a devil, sending him rampaging through the city, blowing up homes and businesses. How could a human being be so damn cold as to laugh as he watched people, of all ages, die in tremendous misery?

Becoming tired from her running, she turned down a dark alley, lit by a single light at the end. Cautiously, she crept down the passage, looking for some useful coverage, but it was too late. "You can run from me, BD. I know this city better than anyone," he said as she reached the end of the alleyway, standing but a foot behind her. Turning in defeat, she gazed at him in apology, his own gaze nothing but annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Jack, I should have helped you more to subdue the demon inside of you—" he pole collided with her abdomen, causing her to cry out in indescribable pain and pinning her to the wall behind her.

"Why don't you just shut up? Your voice is getting on my nerves." She gawked at him in shock as she gasped for air, gripping the pole. "You should have listened to me, my love; you should have done as you were told. But you didn't, you acted foolishly, and look what it got you." He held her face tenderly like he had only weeks before, and smiled at her affectionately, "As I said, I will miss you."

"Fuck…you…Jack," she managed to choke out, and he pushed the pole deeper, but she bit back the screams.

Leaning forward, he kissed her lips one last time, and then spoke softly, "My name…is Jackendaboks."

...

There was no one in sight, anywhere, and he had searched everywhere. This was his first actual time coming to this particular place, but he had no problem finding his way into the circuit room shutting off the power. He had actually been hoping it would have taken a little longer to keep his mind busy, but no success there. His steps were sluggish as he climbed the stairs to the main part of the large building. The whole "sneaking in" part of this operation pretty much stunk and wasn't as thrilling as he had wished.

Cautiously, he cracked the one of the doors ajar, just enough to take a peek, and, as he thought, he saw no one. Opening the heavy door, he entered the display room, his eyes instantly beginning to scan the valuables. Diamonds galore. He had never before in his life seen so many damn rocks in one place at one time. What the hell were they thinking keeping all that crap there with no type of security? Then again, it was a brand new building; perhaps they just hadn't finished installing everything. Come to think of it, he was pretty certain it wasn't even open to the public yet.

His fingers glided across the freshly cleaned glass showcases, his eyes ogling at all the priceless rocks. It had been so damn long since he'd done something bad, and his need for criminal activity was eating at him more than usually. He couldn't figure out why though, what made right now so different. It was like he had to do something illegal, and he had to do it now. His devious stare landed upon the object of his villainous hunger, and, stepping up to the lone display, he smiled, Jokerishly. The rather large diamond sat comfortably on the garnet colored pillow for all to gaze upon.

Placing a hand on either side of the glass case, he attempted to lift it, but, as he had thought, it would not budge. Pulling his hands back, he began to study the piece of furniture, trying to figure out how to open it. "Of course!" he said to himself, slapping his forehead as he realized the obvious answer. Reaching back in to his pocket, he pulled out a purple bandana and wrapped his hand in it tightly. With a single chuckle and immense force, he slammed his fist into the shining glass, shattering it into a million pieces. His fingers clamped down onto the enormous rock and picked it up, removing it from its place. "This will do just fine," he breathed, gawking at the jewel's beauty.

Turning back to the door of whence he entered, he began to head back out, but a thought struck him. He might as well get as much as he could while he was here. Returning to the numerous showcases, he commenced to breaking each and every one of them, filling the multiple pockets of his pants until there was no more room. Satisfied with his work, he finally headed out, switching the power back on before he left through the way he had come in on the roof. Making sure the coast was clear, he silently and quickly scurried down the latter on the building's side and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Not bad, Jack," he told himself, patting his bulging pockets, "there's just one more stop now," his eyes gazed off in the direction of a certain mansion, a loving smile now replacing the earlier clownish grin. In a hurry to see the one he loved, Jack ran to the Harley Davison he had stolen earlier—trying to ignore the irony in its name—and hopped on, revving the engine loudly before he sped off. Racing through the dark night, his heart ached tremendously in sorrow for leaving her like that. It wasn't like she was injured though, just asleep, but still.

The cool night air gnawed at his white skin as he continued to race through the crowed streets of Gotham, weaving in and out of traffic and around pedestrians. The more and more he thought about it, what had happened back at the alley, the more and more livid he became. He could have taken them so easily, but then…they were frozen…figuratively. How could that have happened? Unless, Penoso was…was a telepath. No, he would have said something about that, no he must just have telekinesis. But the telepathy idea would explain his sudden urge for committing a crime, like Penoso made him want to do that. No, it was telekinesis and that's it.

…Why couldn't he pursue those thoughts? His mind wasn't letting him think too much about, and not just about the telepathy, but Penoso all together. Something or someone was controlling his mind—no they weren't. There it goes again; he could not process any thoughts on any matter concerning that freak—'I wonder if Plio is okay.' Great, he couldn't even think about thinking about that man…and his head was starting to hurt. But the pain seemed to melt away along with all of those annoying thoughts when he finally arrived at the gates of Wayne Manor. Shutting the bike off, Jack quickly climbed the ten foot iron gates. Sprinting across the luscious green lawn, he headed for the drainpipe of the west wing and scrambled up to the first small balcony of the second story.

Pressing his face against the glass panel doors, he peeked inside and saw the girl he adored so much asleep in a peaceful bliss. A long sigh of relief escaped his lips, for now he knew she was all right. Turning the round knob, he inched the door open and stepped inside, shutting the door back behind him. "I was wondering when you were gonna get here," the sound of her voice shocked him, causing him to stumble a bit, but he was relieved to hear it as well.

"Did I wake you?" he whispered and went directly to her side, kneeling while she sat and shook her head.

"I've been awake." His hand cool hand cupped her warm cheek lovingly, their eyes glued to one another.

"I was so scared you were hurt, P., I'm so very sorry for leaving you there, I had no choice. If I hadn't, I don't know what they would have done. I tried to fight back, but I just was prepared for someone like that. I won't blame you if you don't ever forgive m—" she pressed a finger against his red lips, silencing him and his rambling, her other hand clamping his on her cheek, a smile upon her sweet face.

"I'm not mad, Jack," she told him.

"You're not?" he asked, completely dumbfounded, his guilt instantly turning into astonishment.

"No, why should I be? I'm just mad someone got the better of me, 'cause I could have fought that bitch off."

"Then why the hell didn't you?!"

"Well, I've found that I have a hard time focusing on fighting people when I'm not in costume…and she got the chloroform to my mouth too quickly." Jack said nothing, just stared. "What?"

"You are some kinda retard, that's for damn sure." Plio rolled her eyes, but scooted over and patted the spot beside her, telling him to sit, which he happily did.

"So, who were they?" she asked at last.

"Same people as before, only it was just Penoso and his…um…girlfriend I guess, Lithe. She was the one that attacked you."

"I figured that much, what did they want?" He paused, trying to decide the best way to explain them.

"Nothing, they just wanted to show me around their hideout. They didn't really have much down there."

"It that underground chamber we found, isn't it?" He nodded. "I thought it was." Lying back, Jack pulled Plio down and held her to his chest, with not objection from her. "Is that all?"

"Yeah…so why are you up at three sixteen in the morning? You should be sleeping, we have school tomorrow…er…today."

"I had a nightmare."

"What about?"

"You becoming evil and killing everyone in Gotham including me with a flagpole." The blood in Jack's face drained quickly, and he felt his body go completely numb. He thought back to the nightmare he had had a couple of nights before, he still couldn't remember it perfectly, but he did remember Plio pinned to a wall by a pole. "But it was just a dream. And highly improbable, too." She waited for him to respond, or to say anything to carry on their conversation, but he was far too deep in thought. Propping up a bit, she kissed him softly on his cheek, bring back to earth. "Tell me about this Lithe character."

"She's highly skilled in hand to hand combat like me, and apparently a master with the katana…she's also got a smart mouth and we don't necessarily get along," he told her with his boyish smirk.

"How come?" His smirk grew.

"I keep messing with her and talking in French since her family is of French descent but doesn't know the language." Rolling her eyes in humor, Plio lay back down, snuggling as close as she could get to him, and he snaked his broad arm tightly around her as if never to let her go. "I hope that dream did not frighten you that much."

"It was just a dream." He was silent again, but it was like a silence of guilt. "Jack—"

"Was it? You really believe it was just a dream? Maybe it was a peek into the future."

"That's ridiculous, Jack, we aren't psychic."

"You don't have to be. Ordinary people can have a spontaneous glimpse into the future. It's usually blown off as Déjà Vu, but sometimes it's vivid enough for the person to remember." Taking the hand he had laying on his chest, she held it gently against her lips and kissed it tenderly.

"It was just a dream, Jack. You are not going to become evil. Maybe just a villain, but never will you become evil. And I know this, because evil cannot love and you have so much love in your heart."

"Maybe that love is fighting a monster deep within me, a monster trying its hardest to get out. And if that be the case…"

"Let us hope it does not win," she whispered, finishing his sentence, holding him closer. Jack did not know what was going to happen next, what was going to become of him or her or even the city at that. But what he did know was that things were about to change, and not necessarily for the better. They had shared a dream, the same exact dream in which he mercilessly murdered her, and that had to have meant something. He knew Penoso was behind it, and he would do everything in his power to stop him, but something told him that that would not be enough. Jack had always been able to tell Plio everything, even if it was for her benefit and his detriment, and now he wouldn't even tell her the insignificant things he had seen and been told when with Penoso. There was something wrong with him, and there was only one person he could ask about it and Penoso…and he reeeally did not want to talk to that sorry excuse for a man they told him was his father, The Joker. But he had to, he was lying to Plio, something he never did, and he wanted to hate it, but the truth was, and what scared him, is that he really didn't. In fact, he liked it…

…a lot.

xXx

Okay, there ya go! I hoped you guys enjoyed it. I'm gonna try to have the next chapter up ASAP, but first I've got to go read Breaking Dawn before my beta beats the shit out of me…no I'm serious, she really will. So let me know what you think about the chapter, and if you have any questions, just ask and I will be happy to answer.

L8ER!

Dyno